Cameras now keep an eye on visitors to Grandview's schools

The Grandview Heights City School District has taken steps to ensure student safety at Stevenson Elementary School and Edison Intermediate/Middle School and to provide those concerned about a student's safety to anonymously report their concerns.

Over the winter break, the district installed security cameras at the schools, Superintendent Ed O'Reilly said.

The main entry doors to the schools now are kept locked at all times and visitors must be identified prior to entry and buzzed in to the building, he said. The cameras allow office staff to see who is at the door.

"I've not heard any concerns raised" about the new system, O'Reilly said, and most people he has talked to are happy with the additional security measures, especially in light of last month's Newtown, Conn., shooting.

The school board is scheduled to discuss school safety at its annual work session Feb. 2.

Last month, the district posted a concerned-persons form on the high school's website.

"It's a form that can be used by any student or community member who has a concern about the safety of any student," O'Reilly said. "Our preference would always be that they pick up the phone and contact an administrator or guidance counselor, but people aren't always comfortable doing that.

"They may be a friend of the student and they don't want them to know they are the one making the report, and that's understandable," he said.

The form asks respondents to give the name of the person they are concerned about, provide details about their concern and indicate whether they believe the student in crisis is in immediate danger to self or others.

The information then is forwarded to guidance and administrative staff.

"It's about trying to help students whose safety may be in jeopardy," O'Reilly said. "It can be about anything."

The form is not designed for reports of bullying, because the district has other venues by which those incidents can be reported, he said.

Although the form has been placed on the high school website, it can be used to report concerns about students in all grade levels, O'Reilly said.

Grandview High School students have been provided an overview of the concerned-persons form and students can download the form onto their cellphones by scanning the QR code on signs that have been placed around the building, he said.

Copies of the form also have been placed in boxes throughout Edison Intermediate-Middle School, O'Reilly said.